Trail Mix for Sept. 10: 155,000 fish die at American River Hatchery

More than 155,000 Eagle Lake rainbow trout suffocated in what was said to be just minutes Tuesday at a hatchery near Rancho Cordova after gooey material from Folsom Dam clogged water intakes.

Department of Fish and Wildlife system manager Bill Cox said the die-off occurred without warning that afternoon at American River Hatchery. Cox told The Sacramento Bee he’s not exactly sure what happened, but he knows that the Bureau of Reclamation, which manages Folsom Dam, “changed to a pipe they hadn’t used in several years” as part of a dredging operation.

“And when they did that, a slug of stuff … came down and came into the hatchery,” he said.

Trout need cold water, so the hatchery relies on a cooling and filtration system that chills water flowing into tanks and holding ponds.

Cox initially estimated that as many as 200,000 suffocated Tuesday. On Wednesday, Fish and Wildlife determined that the number was closer to 155,000. Hundreds of another type of rainbow also died.

Additional losses are expected because of stress to the fish and continuing elevated water temperatures.

Loss estimates (as of Wednesday), by species:

• 155,000 of 199,313 (78%) Eagle Lake trout
• 300 of the 61,839 (0.5%) Shasta trout
• Five of the 230,000 Lahontan cutthroat

Shaver Lake triathlon nears

Despite smoky air that forced cancellation of this year’s Grizzly Century ride, organizers of the Shaver Lake Triathlon say their annual event is still on for Sept. 27.

The Mile High Triathlon features two courses, Sprint and Olympic, that can be done individually or as part of a relay. A co-ed competition (six to 11 per team) also is offered with grand prizes as high as $750.

The Sprint course features a 400-yard swim, 11.4-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run. The Olympic course has a 1,200-yard swim, 25-mile ride and 6.2-mile run on the Camp Edison trails.

Wetsuits are allowed. Registration starts at $95 for the Sprint and $105 for the Olympic. An aquabike option also is offered, and a 5K run/walk has been added this year. Registration for the 5K is $20.

Sign up online or in person on the day of the event from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Races will start at 8 a.m. (Olympic), 8:30 a.m. (Sprint) and 8:45 a.m. (run/walk).

Details: milehightri.com

Notes

Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, who in July set the speed record for completing the Appalachian Trail, paid a $500 fine Wednesday to settle citations over his celebration atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin.

Jurek popped a bottle of champagne while surrounded by supporters after completing the 2,189-mile trail from Georgia to Maine in 46 days, 8 hours. A ranger cited him for public drinking, littering and hiking in an oversized group (more than 12 people), The Associated Press reported, and a district judge signed off Wednesday on an agreement in which Jurek paid a fine for public drinking while the other citations were dropped.

▪ The hunting season for mountain quail in Zone Q1 opens Saturday and ends Oct. 16. The zone covers much of the northern and eastern parts of the state, including eastern Tulare and Fresno counties. Sooty and ruffed grouse can be hunted Saturday through Oct. 12. The general and archery seasons for white-tailed ptarmigan will be open through Sept. 20.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Trail Mix for Sept. 10: 155,000 fish die at American River Hatchery."